LEN Champions League

LEN Champions League
The LEN Champions League is the top-tier European professional water polo club competition with teams from up to 18 countries. It is organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation.
The competition started in 1963 as European Cup. A change of name and format occurred in 1996, with the competition being renamed Champions League and the final four system being established as the format of choice, for the first time during the 1996–97 LEN Champions League. From 2003 to 2011 the competition was named LEN Euroleague (with the change of name being simply a re-branding) and from 2011 and on LEN Champions League, its current name.
LEN Champions League is the most popular water polo league in the European continent. It has been won by 24 clubs, 10 of which have won the title more than once. The most successful club in the competition is Pro Recco, with eleven titles. The current European champion is Pro Recco, who won their eleventh title after defeating Novi Beograd in the 2022–23 LEN Champions League Final in Belgrade.
History
Names of the competition
1963–1996: European Cup
1996–2003: Champions League
2003–2011: LEN Euroleague
2011–present: LEN Champions League
Title holders
1963–64 Partizan
1964–65 Pro Recco
1965–66 Partizan
1966–67 Partizan
1967–68 Mladost
1968–69 Mladost
1969–70 Mladost
1970–71 Partizan
1971–72 Mladost
1972–73 OSC Budapest
1973–74 MGU Moscow
1974–75 Partizan
1975–76 Partizan
1976–77 CSK VMF Moscow
1977–78 Canottieri Napoli
1978–79 OSC Budapest
1979–80 Vasas
1980–81 Jug Dubrovnik
1981–82 Barcelona
1982–83 Spandau 04
1983–84 Stefanel Recco
1984–85 Vasas
1985–86 Spandau 04
1986–87 Spandau 04
1987–88 Sisley Pescara
1988–89 Spandau 04
1989–90 Mladost
1990–91 Mladost
1991–92 Jadran Split
1992–93 Jadran Split
1993–94 Újpest
1994–95 Catalunya
1995–96 Mladost
1996–97 Posillipo
1997–98 Posillipo
1998–99 POŠK
1999–00 Bečej
2000–01 Jug Dubrovnik
2001–02 Olympiacos
2002–03 Pro Recco
2003–04 Honvéd
2004–05 Posillipo
2005–06 Jug Dubrovnik
2006–07 Pro Recco
2007–08 Pro Recco
2008–09 Primorac Kotor
2009–10 Pro Recco
2010–11 Partizan
2011–12 Pro Recco
2012–13 Crvena zvezda
2013–14 Atlètic-Barceloneta
2014–15 Pro Recco
2015–16 Jug Dubrovnik
2016–17 Szolnok
2017–18 Olympiacos
2018–19 Ferencváros
2019–20 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Pro Recco
2021–22 Pro Recco
2022–23 Pro Recco
Finals
Titles by club
Titles by nation
*Results until the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the self-determination of all countries unless the union of Serbia and Montenegro, named until 2003 as FR YUgoslavia, and broke up in 2006. Clubs from present day Serbia won the title 7 times and were runners-up additional 4 times, clubs from present day Croatia won the title 7 and were runners-up one time, clubs from present day Montenegro were runners-up one time.
* and . Note, Croatian record counting since 1991, while Serbian and Montenegrin counting since 2006, only.
*The results of West Germany counted with those of Germany.
*Results until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Clubs from present day Russia won the title 2 times and were runners-up additional 5 times, clubs from present day Kazakhstan were runners-up once time.
Records
Pro Recco has been the most successful club, having won the competition a record 11 times.
Mladost (1968, 1969, 1970) and Pro Recco (2021, 2022, 2023) are the only two clubs to have won the competition three times in a row.
Partizan and Pro Recco are the only two clubs to have won the European Championship twice in a row for two times (1966, 1967 & 1975, 1976) and (2007, 2008 & 2021, 2022)
Spandau 04 (1986, 1987), Mladost (1990, 1991), Jadran Split (1992, 1993) and Posillipo (1997, 1998) are the other five teams to have won the European Championship twice in a row, only for one time.
Most finals in a row: 7 Pro Recco (2006-2012), 5 Mladost (1968-1972) & Spandau 04 (1986-1990).
Most Titles
Players
bold - active players
* Titles with 3 clubs: Felipe Perrone
Coaches
As Player and Coach combined
* Two players were players and coaches at the same time in the winning teams. Boris Čukvas won three titles in a dual role. He was a player and Partizan's coach during the seasons in which the Belgrade-based club won its first three titles (1963/64, 1965/66 and 1966/67). Eraldo Pizzo was a player and Pro Recco's coach in the season 1964/65.
Titles (2) as a player and a coach: Veselin Đuho, Marco Baldineti, Vjekoslav Kobeščak.
Awards
MVP Final Tournament
2010 – Vanja Udovičić
2011 – Tamás Kásás
2012 – Denes Varga
2013 – Andrija Prlainovic
2014 – Albert Español
2015 – Felipe Perrone
2016 – Felipe Perrone
2017 – Andrija Prlainovic
2018 – Josip Pavic
2019 – Denes Varga
2020 Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 – Dušan Mandić
2022 – Giacomo Cannella
2023 – Alvaro Granados
Top Scorer by Season
2012–13 – Felipe Perrone 31 goals
2013–14 – Filip Filipović 51 goals
2014–15 – Sandro Sukno 34 goals
2015–16 – Denes Varga 33 goals
2016–17 – Felipe Perrone 42 goals
2017–18 – Darko Brguljan 42 goals
2018–19 – Kostas Genidounias 42 goals
2019–20 Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 – Angelos Vlachopoulos 41 goals
2021–22 – Gergő Zalánki 42 goals
2022–23 – Alvaro Granados 43 goals
See Also
LEN Euro Cup
LEN Challenger Cup
LEN Super Cup
LEN Women's Champions League
LEN Women's Euro Cup
LEN Women's Super Cup
LEN Women's Challenger Cup
References
External links
LEN Champions League at LEN
Recurring sporting events established in 1964
Champions League
Multi-national professional sports leagues